Track-sanding apparatus.



- ment in flracleSandiug vFitchburg, county of ih' orceste',

NAJTHANLIL B. DQDGE, OF FlTCE-IBURG IVIASSACHUSETTS. 1

-"i'-F-i; itl? i i stlt l Di NG APPARATUS! Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Irl'ov. 2'7, 1906.

implication filed March 1,1905. Serial Ilo 247,842,

130 it known that l, NATHANIEL B. Bones, a citizen of the United States, residing at State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improve- .pparatns, oi which the following (,lCSCItlptlOil, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specificatime, like letters on the drawings representing like 'erts.

T is invention relates to a device for feeding or su )plyirn sand to the rails ol s traction railway. it iinds i ordinary use in connection with electric street-railways and Steam-railways.

It is essential in such a device that it shall be possible at any and all tunes and upon any emergency to sup ly sand at. once to the track. The sand is hahlc to become damp or compacted, and thus will clog the pipes. The exit-pi es from the sander, especially at points near the track, are also l'rerpwntly clogged with snow, ice, and dirt.

it is the object ot' this device to secure a quick-acting trzwla-sandcr which shall oi itself be capa bio of removing all obstrurt ions and of feeding thrsand in whatever condition it may be. I

The iresont invention secures these ends in a simple and r-tliricntmanner and maltes use of air as the means for tending the sand and clez'rnin out the device.

The drawings show the essential parts 0! the device, the connections to the sandbox, the track, and the air supply not. being shown.

111 the drawings, Figure 1 represents in vertieal central (-it sssot-Iiou the reterit-d form of track-sanding device. Fig. 2 is a view in horizontal -ross-sccti m, taken on the line :1 at, Fi 1, to illustratemore tally the cut-off valve.

' at its upper end with a sfirrwv-tbreaded port D, to w ii'ch is runner-ted the sand-supply )lpe extending to the santlbox,1vlilcli should i e placed above the vertical plane of the port.

The

A cut off valve E is orovided for the port D, by means 01" which t io supply of sand.

to the sender may beentirely cut oil close to the operative arts, thus enabling the clean- 1 1g out of the (-eviee or the removal of the an"- nozzle without a waste of send. It is essential that the cut-o'ii valve ould not obstruct made for placing the cut-oh valve when in its open'position at one side oi the main chanrher and out of the way of'the flow of sand.

The cutotl' valve in its preferred form, illustrated, is shaped toiorni a hollow seg ment of a sphere. it has two depending arms 9 e, pivoted at e" in the nutin chamber. One of the pivots, as if, need not eX- tend through the wall of the chamber; but one, c, is extended through the well of the chamber and provided with menus whereby the valve may he turned, such means being shown as a polygonal shank e adopted to receive l \Vl'(ll(ll. I

The cut-oil valve when closing theport takes the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. l and is seated around the ed c of" the port, preventing any flow of sand. When in its inoperative position, it takes the position shown in full lines in Fig. l, the chamber bein; recessed or formed with ft pocket, as indi dad at (1/, to receive the cut-oti vnlve in this position and leave the passogo-way "for the t low of sand unobstructed.

The bottom of the casing is provided with.

1 a port closed with a wing i through which entrance may be had: to the main chamber for the removing of stones or other obstructions. 7 I

The exit-port from the main chamber is 10- eated at the lower portion at one side, as at G, and in the form shown opens into the auxiliar chamber (1.

T to compressed air for operating the sander is conveyed to the main clunnbrr through a nozzle screwed into a port in the main chamber, herein shown as opposite to the exit-port G; but it is only essential that the exit port should be so arranged as to prosent the end ot the/nozzle opposite the exitport G. I

The air-nozzle ll is shown as'provlded with a suit-able connection It to the airsu ')ply pipe. it is provided with. two air-passages 71/, ex-

tending centrally through the nozzle and shown in full lines in Fig. l.

Q ssasvo tion J and the end of the air-nozzle are so arran ed" that the end of the air-nozzle passes under the shelf.

The auxiliary chamber C is provided with a plurality of exit-ports 0 0 to either of which the pipe leading to the track may be secured, the others being closed by a suitable plug. In the drawings the port 0 is shown as provided with a pipe K,'leadin g to the track, and the port 0 is shown as closed with a lu r L. The osition of the ice when a P t, P P i P plied to the port 0 is indicated in dotted lines.

In the operation of the device the cut-cit valve E is normally open or in the position The sand then feeds down into the main chamber, when the air-blast is partially turned on, and the air rushin out through thecentral passageway he nozzle under the shelf J feeds the sand out through the exit-port G and down onto the track. The action of the air forms a vacuum in the main chamber B, thus securin the feeding of the sand into the main cham or. If, therefore, the sand becomes clogged in the supply-pipe or is damp or for any other reason does not run freely, the vacuum formed in themain chamber secures the proper supply and feeding of the sand. The device has been found very effective and certain in this particular. The air issuing from the annular passage 7L flufls or stirs up the sand and tends to supply it properly and guide it from the exit-port G, from which it is fed.

. When the exit-pipes of the sander become clogged in any way, it is only necessary to turn on the air-blast with greater force, when the air will drive out all obstructions and at the same time will be found to act in such a manner as to produce back pressure in the main chamber B and. prevent the sand from being fed to any appreciable extent.

When it is desired to remove the working parts of the sander ortakc out any large stones or other obstructions from the. main chamber, the cut-off valve E is turned to its upper position (shown in dotted lines) and the plug F is removed at the bottom chamber.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is- I 1. A track-sanding device comprising a chamber provided with a sand-supply port and an exit-port, an air-nozzle projecting into the chamber and direct d towardbut not entering said exit-port, a s elf projecting from the wall of the chamber above the exit-.- port and extending over the end of the'air nozzle, 8. cut-01f valve located at the top of said chamber.

Zi A tracksanding device comprising a chamber provided with a sand-supply and an exit-port, an air-nozzle projecting into the chamber and directed toward. but

not entering said exit-port, a shelf projecting from the wall of the chamber above the exitportend extending over the end of the airnozzle, a pivoted cut-off valve located at the topof said chamber, a recess in the side Wall of the chamber adapted to receive/the cutoff valve'in its open position 3. A track-sanding device comprising a chamber provided witha sand-shpply port and an exit-port, an air-nozzle projecting into the chamber and directed toward but not entering said exit-port, a shelf projecting from the wall of-the chamber above the 61d nozzle, a pivoted'cut-otf valve located at .the top of saidchamber, a recess in the side wall of the chamber adapted to receive the cutoff valve in its open position, means located on the outside of the device for, operating said valve.

4. A. track-sanding deviceachamberproport and extending over the end of the a vidcd with a sand-supply port and an exit- 1 valve for said sand-supply port, a recess in the side wall of the chamber adapted to receive the cut-off valve in its open position, means located on the outside of the chamber for operating said valve. In testimony whereof I have signed my' name to this specification inithe presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

NATHANIEL -1'3. DODGE:'

Witnesses:

BLANCHE L. SMI H, THOMAS CASEY. 

